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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Good morning, Kris,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">For average training with an ice
axe around my home area I use a Cassin Vega, which is relatively heavy.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By the way, if you want to start a
flurry of PCT-L posts, just express an opinion about ice axe handle length and
see what happens.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While trail
hiking I don’t believe I need a sturdy alpine-qualified axe so I got an 9.4 oz.
aluminum Cassin Ghost to which I’ve added a wrist strap and a slip-resistant
surface on the lower handle.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I
didn’t carry it in the Sierras, but a hiking companion had an ultra-lite Camp,
which he used to chop ice off rocks on the back side of Mather Pass, and the adz
blades broke off.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=188368"><FONT
color=#800080>http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=188368</FONT></A> <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Steel-Eye</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">^^^^^^^^^^<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Join other hikers at:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.aldhawest.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: purple">http://www.aldhawest.org/</SPAN></A>
^^^^^^^^^^</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Still looking
for people's opinions on brands/models of ice axes. Want to buy it soon
for a practice trip up to the Grubb hut in
Feb.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR>Kris</FONT><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>